Medical examination/treatment system with multiple patient beds, and transport carriage therefor

ABSTRACT

A transport carriage for a patient bed has a first arm for placement of the patient bed thereon and a second arm for coupling the patient bed thereto. A medical treatment of examination system employing such a transport carriage has a number of medical devices for treatment of examination of a subject, each of these medical devices having a patient support mechanism associated therewith, with a differently configured patient bed. The patient beds are removable from the respective support mechanisms, and the transport carriage is configured to receive and transport any of these differently configured patient beds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a system for the medicalexamination and/or treatment of a patient, having a number ofexamination and/or treatment devices of different types, particularlyhaving a magnetic resonance tomography device and/or a computedtomography device and/or an angiography device and/or a nuclear therapydevice, wherein each of the examination and/or treatment devices has apatient support mechanism with a patient bed, wherein the respectivepatient bed can be introduced into an examination and/or treatment areaof the respective examination and/or treatment device, and having atleast one transport gurney.

The invention is also directed to a transport carriage for a patientbed, particularly for a system for medical examination and/or treatmentof a patient of the above type, an undercarriage and comprisingextension arms for the acceptance of the patient bed.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Transport carriages that enable the transfer of a patient to a tablestand of an examination device are disclosed, for example, in German OS30 34 932 and German PS 42 24 036.

A number of different medical examination devices and/or a number ofdifferent treatment devices are usually present in a large hospital.Each examination and/or treatment device has a specific patient supportmechanism with a patient bed that is attached to a pedestal either rigidin position or movable. The patient lies on the patient bed during theexamination or treatment. In order to introduce the patient into theexamination or treatment region of the particular examination and/ortreatment device, for example into the bore of a magnetic resonancetomography device, the patient bed is, in particular, movably seated orguided on the pedestal.

A transport carriage that is also referred to as gurney is used for thetransport to or from an examination and/or treatment device. The patientis placed or bedded on the gurney for this purpose. A re-bedding orrepositioning procedure is thereby necessary, this being time-consumingand physically strenuous for the medical personnel. Moreover, highlyimpaired patients, for example trauma patients, can suffer furtherimpairment during a re-bedding procedure. Valuable time is also lostduring the re-bedding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide an examination and/or treatmentdevice wherein these disadvantages are avoided or at least alleviated.It is also an object to provide a gurney for the same purpose.

The first object is inventively achieved in a system of the typeinitially described wherein the respective patient beds are removablefrom the respective patient, and wherein each patient bed and thetransport carriage are fashioned such that each of the patient beds canbe coupled to the transport carriage.

The inventive system has the advantage that the patient can already beborne on the patient bed needed for the respective examination and/ortreatment device and the patient support mechanism thereof whentraveling to or from an examination and/or treatment device. The numberof necessary re-bedding or repositioning events is thus advantageouslyreduced for the hospital personnel. The hospital personnel can work moreefficiently and less strenuously in ergonomic terms. Because each of thepatient beds can be coupled to the transport carriage, this advantagecan be achieved without requiring an especially large number ofdifferent transport gurneys. This means that the probability that thehospital personal will find a suitable transport carriage at a specificlocation of examination or treatment room in the hospital is high, evengiven only a small number of available gurneys.

The patient beds, in particular, can be firmly coupled to the transportcarriages, i.e. lifting and shifting of the patient bed on the transportcarriage is suppressed in the coupled condition. Motion in all sixspatial directions is suppressed in the coupled condition. The couplingcan occur with a frictional connection and/or interlocking.

The patient beds can also be coupled at least to the patient supportmechanism of their respective examination and/or treatment device.

In a preferred embodiment, the patient beds and the gurney are fashionedsuch that the patient beds can be placed on the transport carriage atone end thereof and can be coupled thereto at the opposite end. In thisembodiment, thus, a firm (positive) connection between the patient bedsand the gurney is produced at only one end of the transport carriage. Anumber of advantages gurney therefrom. First, the patient beds need notbe provided with a coupling mechanism (which would possibly have to befabricated of metal) at the end at which they can be placed onto thetransport carriage. This assures that this end of the patient beds canbe introduced, for example, into the opening of a magnetic resonancetomography device or of a computed tomography device without disruptingits operation (magnetic field or X-ray absorption or the like). Anotheradvantage is that—proceeding from a known examination and/or treatmentdevice with a permanently allocated patient bed—the patient bed need notbe modified at the one side, at least not significantly. This is ofsignificance for a retrofitting existing medical examination and/ortreatment devices. There is also the advantage given a placement of thepatient bed at the one end of the gurney that the gurney can be designedsuch that an impediment for the hospital personnel is avoided, i.e. thepatient is optimally accessible.

The patient beds and the transport carriage preferably are coupled atthe foot end of the patient. It is likewise preferred that the patientbeds be placed onto the transport carriage at the head end of thepatient.

According to a preferred embodiment, the patient beds have identicalcoupling devices for releasable fastening to the gurney. These couplingdevices can also be fashioned for the coupling to the patient supportmechanisms of the examination and/or treatment devices.

To this end, the gurney preferably has a coupling for the acceptance ofthe coupling device of the patient beds, so each patient bed isreleasable from the transport carriage by actuating the coupling. Anadvantage of this version is that the majority part of the couplingmechanism can be attached to the gurney and that the patient beds—whichlikewise already exist—need be only slightly modified.

The second object directed to a gurney is inventively achieved in agurney of the type initially described wherein a first of the extensionarms is fashioned for the non-coupling placement of the patient bed, anda second of the extension arms is fashioned for coupling the patientbed.

Such a gurney can be fashioned especially easily for universalemployment for a number of medical examination and/or treatment devices.The underside of that side of the patient bed coming to lie on the firstextension arm need not be modified at all or only slightly. A couplingmechanism that could disrupt the imaging in an X-ray device, computedtomography device or nuclear magnetic resonance device because it isfabricated of metal is not needed.

The access to the patient at this side of the patient bed also remainsunrestricted. For this reason as well, the first extension armpreferably is attached at the head end of the patient, i.e. the part ofthe patient bed at which the head of the patient is intended to belocated.

The second extension arm preferably is fashioned such that the patientbed comes to lie under the second extension arm in the coupledcondition. In this way, it becomes advantageously possible to retrofitan existing patient bed in a simple way without having to intervene atits underside, which is usually specifically adapted to the respectivepatient support mechanism.

In particular, the second extension arm is fashioned for accepting thepatient bed in suspended fashion. However, versions are also possiblewherein the second extension arm holds the patient bed engaging under orgrasping its upper side.

Particularly given the suspended acceptance of the patient bed, it isexpedient for the second extension arm to have a coupling for producinga rigid, releasable connection to the patient bed. Such a coupling canbe realized in a simple way, for example by a catch or snap-inmechanism.

The engagement of the second extension arm to the patient bed,particularly to the coupling, can occur with a frictional connectionand/or interlock, particularly such that the patient bed cannot be movedeither to the side or up or down in the coupled condition.

In the gurney of the invention, in contrast, such a rigid connection tothe patient bed can be omitted at the first extension arm. The firstextension arm preferably is fashioned such that the patient bed lyingthereon is secured against lateral dislocation, preferably such that thepatient bed remains movable in the upward direction. This has theadvantage that attaching the patient bed on the transport carriage issimplified for the hospital personnel. It also is an advantage that acoupling device that could disrupt the imaging in an examinationdevice—particularly when fabricated of metal—is not compulsory at thehead end of the patient bed, i.e. at the side of the first extensionarm.

The first extension arm preferably has a recess for the patient bed theunderside of which, in particular, is equipped with an appliance thatfits into the recess with a form fit and may latch thereto.

In a preferred embodiment the two extension arms have their respectiveends secured to a telescoping column. As a result, it is advantageouslypossible to adapt the gurney to the respective support height of theappertaining examination and/or treatment device in the transfer to orfrom one of the examination and/or treatment devices. Different deviceheights must be expected in the utilization of the inventive gurney witha number of examination and/or treatment devices that differ in type.

It is advantageous for the telescoping columns to be eccentricallyattached on the undercarriage, particularly to the edge side of theundercarriage. The load-bearing structure of such a gurney composed,among other things, of the undercarriage, the telescoping columns andthe support arms has, in particular, the shape of a rectangle open atone side or of a “C” as viewed in cross-section. It is especiallyadvantageously possible with such a gurney to a transfer the patient bedto an examination and/or treatment device or fetch it therefrom withoutneeding a critical lateral displacement of the patient bed. With such agurney, on the contrary, it is especially advantageously possible givena transfer of the patient bed from the gurney to an examination and/ortreatment device to position the patient bed exactly at that locationover a pedestal of the patient support mechanism at which the patientbed can be coupled to the sub-structure or pedestal of the patientsupport mechanism. The load-bearing structure of the gurney can therebyembrace stationary parts of the respective patient bearing mechanism.These parts are then positioned in the inside of the open rectangle “C”.

In another preferred embodiment, the telescoping columns areheight-adjustable in tandem as well as independently of one another. Agurney designed in this way has the specific advantage that it canaccept patient beds of different thickness or height. This is especiallysignificant when, in the coupled condition of the patient bed, the firstextension arm is arranged under the patient bed and the second extensionarm is arranged above the patient bed.

The extension arms preferably can be removed from the undercarriage andbe interchanged with one another. Since, for example, the back extensionarm is attachable to the front position and the front extension arm isattachable to the back position, the advantage is achieved that thegurney can optionally approach a patient support mechanism from the leftor from the right, and it is always assured that the first extension armcan be placed facing the examination area of an examination device, forexample the opening of a magnetic resonance tomography device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a transport carriage inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 show a detail of the transport carriage of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the transport carriage of FIG. 1 employed at a computedtomography device.

FIG. 4 shows the transport carriage of FIG. 1 employed at a magneticresonance tomography device.

FIG. 5 shows the transport carriage of FIG. 1 in another employmentthereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a gurney or a transport carriage 1 for the acceptance of acouchette board, a trauma plate, a patient support plate or a patientbed 3. At the bottom, the transport carriage 1 has a U-shaped orC-shaped undercarriage 5 to which four double rollers 7 are attached.Two of the double rollers 7 can be locked by actuating a foot switch(not shown).

Telescoping columns 9, 11 are attached to the edge at the closed side ofthe undercarriage 5, the telescoping columns 9, 11 being adjustable inheight both in tandem as well as independently of one another eithermanually or by means of a drive motor (not shown). The telescopingcolumns 9, 11 respectively carry horizontally proceeding extension arm13 and 15. The extension arms serve for the acceptance of the patientbed 3, whereby the first extension arm 15 supports the patient bed 3 andthe second extension arm 13 engages the bed 3 from above. Patient beds 3of different thickness can be transported with the transport carriage 1in that the telescoping columns 9, 11 are extensible independently ofone another along the vertical directions 17 and 19, even though thesecond extension arm engages at the patient bed 3 from above and thefirst extension arm 15 engages from below.

The first extension arm 15 is fashioned for placement of the patient bed3 thereon and has a depression or a broad recess 23 at its upper sidefor this purpose, the depression or broad recess 23 accepting acorresponding appliance 25 at the underside of the patient bed 3 suchthat the patient bed 3 is secured against lateral dislocation at thelocation of the first extension arm 15. The transport carriage 1 and thepatient bed 3 are fashioned such that the head of a patient comes to lieat the first extension arm 15 and the patient's feet come to lie at thesecond extension arm 13.

The first extension arm 15 and the second extension 13 are secured tothe undercarriage 5 by means of identical plug-type connectors (notshown), so that they can be interchanged with one another. Locking pins,for example, are present for the detent.

The second extension arm 13 is fashioned for rigid coupling of thepatient bed 3. A possible coupling mechanism is shown in greater detailin FIG. 2. The second extension arm 13 has a coupling 27 that can becoupled to corresponding coupling devices 33 at the upper side of thepatient bed 3 rigid in position and releasable. In the illustratedexample, the coupling 27 is formed as pegs fashioned conically at theirtip with an annular channel arranged therebehind. As cooperatingmembers, these pegs can be engaged into the respective coupling device33 wherein a spring-loaded pin engages into the annular channel.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 schematically show the employment of the transportcarriage 1 of the invention at different medical examination devices.

FIG. 3 shows a patient 39 before examination in a computed tomographydevice 41. The computed tomography device 41 includes a patient supportmechanism 43 that has a pedestal 44 with an oblong, projecting upperpart 45 arranged thereon. A carriage 46 is movable in longitudinaldirection in the upper part 45. The carriage 46 is fashioned for theacceptance of a patient bed 47, so that the patient bed 47 with apatient 39 lying thereon is introducible into an opening 49 in thehousing of the computed tomography device 41. A scan over a number oftomograms occurs by moving the patient 39 through the opening 49. Thepatient bed can be removed in a simple way by the medical personnel,preferably by being lifted slightly up.

The carriage itself can also be fashioned as support plate or bed.

FIG. 3 shows the transport carriage 1 with the patient bed 47immediately before or after a transfer from or to the patient supportmechanism 43. In order to arrive in this position, the patient 49 waspreviously moved into the examination room with the computed tomographydevice 41 by means of the transport carriage 1. The transport carriage 1was then positioned at the patient support mechanism 43 under the upperpart 45 and embracing the pedestal 44. The first extension arm 15 wasthereby positioned at the head end of the patient support mechanism 43,so that the patient 39 can be introduced head first into the opening 49.The first extension arm 15 is thereby arranged between the end of thepatient bearing mechanism 43 at the housing side and the housing of thecomputed tomography device 41 and supports the patient bed 47. At thispoint in time, the patient bed 47 is still attached to the secondextension arm 13 at the foot end 51. At this point in time, the twotelescoping columns 9, 11 can be extended to different distances inheight if the thickness of the patient bed 47 (=distance between upperedge and bottom edge) requires this.

For transferring the patient bed 47 to the patient support mechanism 43,the telescoping columns 9, 11 are then simultaneously retracted untilthe patient bed 47 comes to lie on the carriage 46 and can be coupledthereto as warranted.

After the transfer of the patient bed 47 to the patient supportmechanism 43, the telescoping column 9 of the second extension arm 43 ismoved upward and the telescoping column 11 of the first extension arm 15is moved downward, so that the transport carriage 1 can be moved awayfrom the patient support mechanism 43. As an alternative, the upper edgeof the patient support mechanism 43 is moved downward.

FIG. 4 shows the patient 39 before an examination in a magneticresonance tomography device 61 having a patient support mechanism 63that has a patient bed 67. As is the case for all patient beds of theinventive system, the patient bed 67 can be removed by the personnel.

Using the patient support mechanism 63, the patient 39 lying on thepatient bed 67 is introduced into an opening 69 of a magnet of themagnetic resonance tomography device 61, the opening having anexamination region, so that a 3D image can be acquired therein. Thepatient support mechanism 63 of the illustrated magnetic resonancetomography device 61 has a pedestal 65 that is spaced approximately 30cm from the housing of the magnetic resonance tomography device 61. As acantilevered region of the patient bed 67, the distance is of particularadvantage because the transfer of the bed 67 is simplified.

FIG. 5 shows a further application of the transport carriage 1 for adifferently configured patient support mechanism 73 having an allocated,removable patient bed 77.

At the foot end, the patient beds 47, 67, 77 allocated to the respectivepatient support mechanisms 43, 63, 73 of FIGS. 3 through 5 arerespectively provided with a coupling device that is accessible fromabove and the same compared to the second extension arm 13, so that theinterface between the patient beds 47, 67, 77 and the transport carriage1 is the same for each. The transport carriage 1 can thus be universallyemployed. In other words, all patient beds 47, 67, 77 of the combinationof different examination devices can be coupled to the at least onetransport carriage 1.

The system formed by a combination of the computed tomography device 41,the magnetic resonance tomography device 61 and a further X-ray device(angiography device) that is not shown (FIG. 5) and also including thetransport carriage 1 represents a system according to the invention forthe medical examination of a patient. Only a small number of transportcarriages 1 are required within this system and there is a highprobability that are transport carriage will always be available sincethese are universally employable.

It is of particular advantage within the system for each of the patientbeds 47, 67, 77 to be fashioned such that it can be coupled to each ofthe patient support mechanisms 43, 63, 73, i.e. the coupling mechanismof each patient bed 47, 67, 77 to the sub-structure is identical. Thenumber of required re-bedding or repositioning events for the patient39, who must undergo a plurality of examinations at various examinationdevices 41, 61 (“modalities”), is minimized given this configuration.

A special advantage of the transport carriage 1 of the invention is thepossibility of designing all known patient beds with only slightmodifications for the trolley mode without having to intervene in thebasic design or the basic structure of the respective patient bed or therespective patient bearing mechanism. The specific way of attaching thepatient bed on the transport carriage 1 assures a maximum accessibilityto the patient for the hospital personnel and for mobile fluoroscopydevices that may be potentially present. The transport carriage 1 alsoallows a retention of the modality-specific shape of known patient bedsat the head end without having to fear limitations of themodality-specific image quality.

Either additionally or instead, for example, a nuclear therapy device ora lithotripsy device can be present as examination and/or treatmentdevice.

Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled inthe art, it is the invention of the inventors to embody within thepatent warranted heron all changes and modifications as reasonably andproperly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.

1. A medical examination/treatment system comprising: a plurality ofmedical devices selected from the group consisting of examinationdevices and treatment devices, each of said medical devices having aregion adapted to interact with a patient and a patient supportmechanism, each patient support mechanism having a patient bed removablyengageable therewith adapted to receive a patient thereon with the headof the patient disposed at a first end of the patient bed and the feetof the patient disposed at a second, opposite end of the patient bed,each support mechanism being operable to move the patient support bedinto and out of said region of the associated medical device, and eachof said patient beds for the respective support mechanisms associatedwith the respective medical devices being differently configured; and atransport carriage movable independently of each of said medical devicesfor transporting the respective patient beds to and from the respectivemedical devices, said transport carriage being configured to receiveeach of said differently configured patient beds, with the first end ofeach patient bed being disposed in non-coupling fashion with a first endof said transport carriage and the second end of each of said patientbeds being coupled to said transport carriage at a second opposite endof said transport carriage.
 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 whereineach of said differently configured patient beds has a coupling devicefor releasably fastening the respective patient bed to the second end ofthe transport carriage, with the respective coupling devices of thedifferently configured patient beds being identical.
 3. A system asclaimed in claim 2 said transport carriage comprises a couplingarrangement at said second end configured to accept said identicalcoupling devices of the differently configured patient beds, allowing apatient bed on said transport carriage to be released from coupling withsaid transport carriage by actuating said coupling arrangement.
 4. Atransport carriage for use with a plurality of differently configuredpatient beds, comprising: an undercarriage; first and second extensionarms adapted to receive a patient bed; and a first of said extensionarms receiving said patient bed thereon in non-coupling fashion, and asecond of said extension arms being configured to couple a patient bedthereto, with the patient bed received beneath said second extensionarm.
 5. A transport carriage as claimed in claim 4 wherein said secondof said extension arms receives the patient bed in suspended fashion. 6.A transport carriage as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second extensionarm comprises a coupling arrangement adapted to interact with thepatient bed to produce a rigid, releasable connection to the patientbed.
 7. A transport carriage as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first ofsaid extension arms is configured to secure a patient bed disposedthereon against lateral dislocation.
 8. A transport carriage as claimedin claim 7 wherein said first of said extension arms is configured toprevent said lateral dislocation while allowing the patient bed to bemoved upwardly relative to said first of said extension arms.
 9. Atransport carriage as claimed in claim 7 wherein said first of saidextension arms comprises a recess for preventing said lateraldislocation.
 10. A transport carriage as claimed in claim 4 furthercomprising a first telescoping column to which said first of saidextension arms is attached, and a second telescoping column to whichsaid second of said extension arms is attached.
 11. A transport carriageas claimed in claim 10 wherein said telescoping columns areeccentrically attached to said undercarriage.
 12. A transport carriageas claimed in claim 11 wherein said telescoping columns are attached atan edge side of said undercarriage.
 13. A transport carriage as claimedin claim 10 wherein said first and second telescoping columns areadjustable in height independently of each other as well as in tandem.14. A transport carriage as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first ofsaid extension arms and said second of said extension arms are removablyand interchangeably attached to said undercarriage.